Of Daredevils, Motorcycles, and First Dates
by bigdamnxenafan
Summary: Sam finally gets the nerve to ask Janet out on a date.


"You know, when I first met you, I didn't figure you for the daredevil type," Janet said with a soft laugh.

Sam removed her helmet and gave Janet a reproachful look. "Riding a motorcycle doesn't make me a daredevil. I like it because of the relaxation factor."

"And the speed." Janet grinned. "Or were you going too fast to notice that was me you blew past at the bottom of the mountain."

"No. I knew it was you, that's why I gave you a chance to catch up."

"Whatever." Janet rolled her eyes and fell in step with Sam. Nothing else was said until after they passed the first checkpoint in the SGC.

"You should go riding with me sometime," Sam said. "I keep telling you, one outing and you'll be hooked."

"Oh, I don't know…"

"C'mon, Janet, it'll be fun. This time of year's the best weather for it," Sam coaxed. "If you come for a ride with me, I'll give one of your hobbies a try. We could both learn something new."

Janet had a hard time saying no, especially when confronted with the adorable pleading expression on Sam's face. "All right then, I'll go for a ride with you. Name the place and time."

"How about Saturday? I'll swing by your place and pick you up…. say around 11am? We can grab some lunch after." Sam suggested. The sooner the better; she didn't want to give Janet much of an opportunity to change her mind.

"Okay, it's a date!" Janet replied with a smile. She clipped her badge to her lab coat and headed to the infirmary. "See you later."

"Later," Sam echoed. "You won't be sorry!" She was in the locker room stowing her gear when it occurred to Janet had referred to the outing as a date. _Doesn't mean anything, Sam told herself. A lot of people say that. _Janet was a friend, a good friend, a close friend, that's all. Janet wasn't thinking of their plans as a _date._

Or was she? They had become quite chatty lately, not to mention very flirtatious. Sam had hopes, but Janet had given her no sign she was interested in anything more than friendship. "Way to over-analyze, Carter," she said aloud as she closed the locker. Sam pushed all thoughts of Janet and their "not date" out of her head. She needed to be mentally sharp for the upcoming mission.

Sam managed not to think of it again until Friday night. Then she could think of nothing else. What if Janet was expecting a date; what if she wasn't? Sam tossed and turned well into the night, painfully aware of how foolish she was to let this worry her. All she had to do was ask Janet for clarification.

There had been many opportunities throughout the week to do just that, but she hadn't been able to follow through. The words stuck awkwardly in her throat, which was also foolish. Sam could talk to Janet about anything… couldn't she? Of course she could; however, it was after midnight and way too late to phone her friend about this particular issue.

She sighed heavily and rolled over onto her side, then back onto her back forcing herself to stop thinking of Janet. Instead, she ran complex calculations in her head. Finally, she managed to relax enough to fall into a fitful sleep.

Sam's eyes popped open mid morning and for one awful moment she was certain she'd overslept. A quick check of the clock told her that she had plenty of time to get ready.

For a moment she sat on the edge of the bed, willing herself to calm down and get her bearings. A nice hot shower helped settle her nerves too, and by the time she pulled up in front of Janet's house, she was feeling more at ease.

"Hey there!" Janet opened the door and ushered Sam inside. Her brow furrowed as she took in Sam's riding gear. "Hmmm, I hope it's okay that I wore jeans and a t-shirt. I do have a leather jacket around here somewhere, though. Should I grab it?"

"You look great! What you're wearing is fine, but if you can find the jacket you, might want to grab it to be on the safe side; I thought we'd ride up into the mountains, the air there might be a bit chilly."

Janet rummaged around in the coat closet for a few moments then emerged with a battered leather jacket clutched triumphantly in her hand. "Got it! Let's ride!" She grinned as she tugged the jacket on.

Sam couldn't help but smile at Janet's enthusiasm. "Glad you're so pumped up about this. Now, let's go over a few things before we get started." She unhooked the extra helmet she'd strapped to the back of the bike and handed it to Janet. "I believe the purpose of this is obvious."

Janet nodded and laughed. She donned the helmet, leaving the visor flipped up. "All right, what else?"

"You'll sit behind me of course; feel free to wrap your arms around me to steady yourself." Sam swung her leg over the bike and took her seat. She patted the area behind her indicating Janet should sit. After her companion settled in behind her she continued. "When I lean you lean with me, especially in the curves. It helps keep the bike balanced."

"Right," Janet said. For the first time she sounded a bit nervous.

"Hey, it's okay," Sam assured her. "We'll go slowly and I won't let you fall."

"I trust you."

Butterflies kicked up in Sam's stomach at those words. "Good." She went over the last of the safety pointers. After she was certain Janet was ready, Sam kick-started the bike and eased out into the street.

The butterflies began doing loop-the-loops, when Janet's arms tightened around Sam's middle. She was suddenly very aware of the warmth of Janet behind her and the way she clung to her.

True to her word, Sam maintained a minimal speed. She kept to the scenic routes and less traveled roads hoping to avoid heavy traffic in deference to Janet's unfamiliarity with motorcycles. The last thing Sam wanted was to spook her on her first ride or first date, if this was a date.

Janet tapped her shoulder as they climbed higher up the mountain. Sam turned her head slightly and grinned when she saw Janet give her a "thumbs up". Apparently she was enjoying herself.

They had been riding about an hour when Sam pulled over at one of the scenic overlooks near the top of the mountain. She cut the engine and pushed down the kickstand. "Well, Doc, have you enjoyed the ride so far?" Sam removed her helmet and grinned.

"It's been great!" Janet pried off her own helmet. "You were right; I'm hooked." She leaned forward and gave Sam a quick peck on the cheek. "Thanks for asking me out."

Sam just about fell off the bike when Janet's lips contacted her skin. "So this _is _a date!" she exclaimed happily.

"Yes, it is," Janet replied. "Isn't it?" She slid off the bike and gave Sam a confused look. "That was your intention wasn't it? To ask me out on a date?"

"Umm…. yes and no?" Sam ran her hand through her short hair. "I've wanted to ask you out for a while now, but I wasn't sure how you'd react." She gave Janet a sheepish look. "The other day I wasn't even thinking of a date when I asked you out…except maybe subconsciously."

"Not sure how I'd react? Sam Carter, for someone so smart, you can be incredibly dense at times!" Janet shook her head. "I've been dropping hints like crazy. Silly me, I thought you took them."

"You have? I did?" Sam stammered. "I mean, I did. I thought…oh hell I don't know what I thought. The signals got crossed somewhere. I may not have thought I was asking you on a date, but I was hoping you thought it was a date. Does that count?"

Janet laughed, "How can I say no when you're so adorable? You do realize now that we are on a date."

"Yes, I realize that now." An exasperated sigh escaped Sam's lips. "You know I did promise you lunch, so technically, the date's not over."

"Or it's just beginning, depending on your perspective," Janet said with a teasing lilt to her voice.

"Right," Sam replied refusing to be rattled further. "Now that we're on the same page, let's go get something to eat. I know a great little café that would be perfect."

"Sounds great." Janet bumped Sam's hip. "We can discuss our second date. You did promise to try one of my hobbies."

Sam's mouth split into a broad grin. Apparently the first date was a hit despite the bumps in the road. "Second date, huh? I like the sound of that, and I'm looking forward to it." She slipped her helmet back on.

"Me too," Janet grinned. "I was thinking we could go antiquing…maybe next Saturday?"

"Honey, I'll go anywhere with you," Sam said with a light laugh. "Put your helmet back on, and we'll discuss it over lunch."

"Yes, ma'am!" Janet snapped off a jaunty salute and slipped on her helmet.

As they pulled back onto the highway, Janet's arms tightened around her. They may be going slow, but that was all right. Sam could tell she was in for one hell of a ride.


End file.
